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| Subject: Do as I say not as I do! | |
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Author: Oropan |
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Date Posted: 09:07:04 05/01/07 Tue In reply to: Stephen 's message, "So what?" on 07:39:59 05/01/07 Tue >Do you have a point to make other than the fact that >you are an old sourpuss? > > >>2008 Candidates Rely on Private Jets >> >>By JIM KUHNHENN >>Associated Press Writer >> >>April 26, 2007, 6:44 PM EDT >> >>WASHINGTON -- A flock of small jets took flight from >>Washington Thursday, each carrying a Democratic >>presidential candidate to South Carolina for the first >>debate of the political season. >> >>For Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris >>Dodd and Joe Biden, it was wheels up shortly after >>they voted in favor of legislation requiring that U.S. >>troops begin returning home from Iraq in the fall. >> >>No one jet pooled, no one took commercial flights to >>save money, fuel or emissions. >> >>All but Biden, who flew on a private jet, chartered >>their flights -- a campaign expense of between $7,500 >>and $9,000. >> >>Federal Election Commission rules allow candidates to >>pay only the equivalent of first-class fare to fly on >>private jets owned by corporations or other special >>interests. But a Senate ethics bill approved earlier >>this year would require senators flying on corporate >>jets to pay full charter rates. The legislation must >>still be reconciled with a House bill and has yet to >>become law. >> >>Several senators running for president are abiding by >>it anyway, either paying charter cost or avoiding >>corporate jets altogether, as Obama and Republican >>Sen. John McCain have done. Dodd pays full charter >>rates when he flies on private planes. The Clinton and >>Biden campaigns did not immediately explain their >>policies. >> >>Candidates who follow the more lenient FEC rules have >>a financial advantage. >> >>Democrat John Edwards, for example, regularly uses a >>jet owned by Dallas trial lawyer Fred Baron, who is >>also the finance chairman of his presidential >>campaign. His campaign pays first-class rate for those >>flights. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney >>also flies on corporate jets and pays first-class >>rates. >> >>Under FEC reimbursement regulations, a candidate >>flying in a corporate or union jet must pay the >>first-class rate unless the flight's destination does >>not have scheduled commercial service. In that case, >>the candidate must pay the cost of chartering the >>plane. >> >>For candidates who are now eschewing corporate jets, >>the cost difference can be significant. >> >>For example, a one-way first class ticket on United >>Airlines with four days advance notice is $694 per >>person. A typical one-way charter flight on a small >>Lear jet seating six people would cost about $9,000. >> >>Critics of corporate jet flights for politicians say >>the difference in cost makes a private jet an >>extraordinary special benefit and can give corporate >>executives or union leaders unusual access to a >>candidate. >> >>Thursday's debate, set on the campus of South Carolina >>State University in Orangeburg, S.C., made for some >>whirlwind scheduling. Clinton, for instance, was >>scheduled to return to Washington Friday morning for >>an 8 a.m. address to the New York State United >>Teachers 35th Annual Representative Assembly, then fly >>back to South Carolina for an 11 a.m. event in >>Greenville. >>Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |